


The neighbours below

by Nerites (LittleRealm)



Category: Kari-gurashi no Arietti | The Secret World of Arrietty, The Borrowers - All Media Types, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Reverse Big Bang Challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-03-01 04:25:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2759549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRealm/pseuds/Nerites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dwarves, small like mice lived unnoticed under the hill on bag end for many years until they are noticed by Bilbo, a young hobbit that recently moved into his parent's old house because of his fragile health. His cousins will care for him as long as he needs to, but Lobelia would’ve suspicious of his behavior as a great friendship will grow between Bilbo and the Dwarves that will put both of their existences at risk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The neighbours below

The main problem with cats is their lack of respect for the authorities. This is not because they are ignorant or uneducated, they are well aware of the social rules and hierarchy, after all it was they who decided to allow the presence of humans and other animals in their environment. Some say his indifference to power figures have more to do with his simple and settled lifestyle and that someone who sleeps from sunrise to sunset doesn't have much time left to concern about the issues of social life. For the two princes who were being cornered by an enormous tabby cat, it has more to do with the fact that they are just a bunch of assholes.

“I think he saw us” -Muttered the youngest, Kili who along his brother Fili was hiding behind the town fishermen’s barrels.

The problem here wasn't just that the cat weren't aware of the proper manners to show in front of royalty, they were dwarves and that meant tiny people, smaller than a hobbit spoon but stout and stocky for their size, for they love a good meal and a good drink same as any of the bigger races but even at the same size if they can stuff it into their mouths. Thanks to their size they always had the ability to go unnoticed, and so, they were able to blend with the bigger races of which they are very pleased to be ignored. That is how this two lads managed every day to sneak into the town and borrow, as they called it, all kind of stuff that was more or less left aside, today it was a pair of hooks what there were after. As you see they may be fond of being ignored but their hearts go towards the adventure and our two princes had found it.

“It’s that spotted monster again! Look at his eyes Fili, he is evil! He has been planning to eat us for a week now!”  
“Well maybe it’s just because we are under a damn pile of fish, the only thing they happen to love and the only place you could possibly found to hide in” Said Fili raising his voice a little.-  
“Swoosh! As if that mattered, that beast had been chasing us before we got here. If you knew a better pl-”Fili put a hand on his brother’s mouth shouting him and looking concerned at the view they had in front. The cat might have heard them and was much nearer now. Fili looked around desperately, the pier was their only option, they could find something and escape floating through the river and surely the cat wouldn't follow them. Above them they had a bunch of fishing rods on top of the barrels. They said nothing, looked to themselves and nodded in confirmation that they had understood what the other meant. Climbing through his brother and up the cracked wood of the barrel Fili reached the rod grip and started moving it slowly. The string that hung from it started to move, like dancing in the air catching the cat’s attention. While the cat was distracted Kili went running out of their hiding place and through the leaves until he reached the pier, once there he started pushing the closest bucket he found which happened to be filled with bait. The cat noticed the movement of the bucket and went after Kili, realizing this, Fili stood up and with all the strength he could manage used the rod has a pole to jump, breaking his way through and landing on top of the cat himself whom maddened and scared by the sound of the rods, made his way to where Kili was, not even caring for the dwarves anymore and when they reached the pier he crashed the bucket into the river and the three jumped onto it. 

With the cat swimming towards the sunny shore they looked at him from the border of the bucket they were covered in bait, but laughing and singing some victory songs the improvised boat passed through the market of the Shire, crowed with hobbits as always. The river moved slowly, it was dusk already and a bit chilly too, the chimneys were lit filling the sky with smoke as the two princes enjoyed themselves smoking some pipe weed, on what looked like a floating chimney. They were princes from the Durins family which the legend said that at ancient times lived and ruled in the kingdom of Erebor, under the biggest mountain of the east, and the city was said to be as big as the biggest city of the big people. Those days are long past and the shape of the world had changed, now which is not forgotten is lost. Equally, dwarves are now far less prolific than they were back then and they now usually live inside big people homes; under the kitchen, the staircases or inside forgotten books in libraries. Some of them even helped the big people without them noticing making their living that way. They were delighted in parties and enjoyed themselves in music which they gave away freely and eagerly but they were also reckless and unmannered which sometimes gave them trouble with their hosts.

They promptly arrived at the tree that was nearby their home. Kili threw the rope tying it to a root and Fili helped him pulling as strong as they could to get the bucket to the shore. They left the bucket outside the river and came up the way from the back to the top of the hill were they lived, inside a small web of mole tunnels and rooms dug deep into the earth under the abandoned smial. It had been a long and tiring day so they didn’t realized of the smoke coming out of the smial chimney, they went straight to the base of the tree that grew at top of the hill and before they entered through the secret door at the base of the tree, they left the two hooks they had acquired today under a stone were they kept all of their secret borrowings.

They used the pipes to get down and through ropes and elevator mechanisms, passed secrets doors that they used to stop animals and insects from entering into their house and from the space between the walls that they used to move around, some of these pipes and spaces were old and unused, and most likely even forgotten by the hobbits that once lived there. They were walking above the ceiling when they heard the sound of steps on the house, they freeze at the spot not even daring to look to each other. The house had never been inhabited for all the time they had lived there, and this was an altogether new situation for them. Fili approached the light that came out of the lamp hole with Kili grasping him from his back. The light was lit and a soft warm came out of the opening, they stood there for a moment before they indeed could heard the magnified sound of the people living below. The sound of running water came to them from the bathroom, the fire creaked at the living room and they could even heard the unintelligible voice of a family coming from where they supposed the kitchen was. “Are you two done?” –a much nearer voice called them. His uncle Thorin was standing behind them with the usual disapproving look he used in anticipation before realizing what his nephews might or might not have done. “Come on now, back home silently”. Fili and Kili looked to each other and nodding in resignation they slowly followed their uncle down the safety pin ladder that climbed the whole wall from the inside. Grabbing one of the lanterns that they kept under the floors he lit it and turned to his nephews;“I don’t want you to use the front exit from now on nor enter to the house above in any way no matter what. Understood?” Said Thorin looking at them holding the lantern close to his face. “We have to be cautious, we have to be together, you understand?” The young dwarves nooded .“Have you seen them uncle?” Asked Kili a bit more eagerly that he wanted to. “just one of them, I found him at the library before any of the other came in” Said Thorin. “He... he wouldn't have seen you by any chance... uncle?” asked Fili uneasily “He wouldn't have seen me not even if I was his size, he had his nose deep in those books” Said Thorin. And so, they kept walking through the tunnels until they reached the room under the kitchen, were they lived.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Hobbit Reverse Big Bang Challenge 2014, huge thanks to M-Sock for the Arrietty!AU prompt and artworks that started this story and to the staff from the Hobbit Reverse Big Bang for organizing this amazing opportunity. Check out the artworks, read the other people's entries and enjoy!!
> 
> The work is mostly finished so I plan to update two chapters per week every Sunday. Also I am still struggling a bit with the language, so any comment or advice from the text is more than welcome.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this and read the original works of JRR Tolkien and Mary Norton!


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